PHILADELPHIA – The independent study portion of Brenden Aaronson’s soccer tutelage has always involved observation, imbibing hours of European soccer to find skills to incorporate to his arsenal. The biggest lesson he’s learned from this isn’t a move, or a specific play he can unveil in a game. Instead, the message gleaned from watching idols like Luka Modric and Frenkie De Jong is more holistic.

“I feel like the European 10s are not afraid to make mistakes,” Aaronson told The Athletic last week. “They make 20 mistakes a game but they’ll get that last pass or score the goal. I want to add that to my game because I’ll get down after I make a bad pass, but I want to make that last pass as many times as I can and one will come off and we’ll score.”

Aaronson’s quest for resilience has echoes with his club and beyond. Last year, the Philadelphia Union hitched its wagon to youth, starting two 19-year-olds at center back, a position where failure is...